Three divisions, Two years, one team.

(Another blog about Norwich City)

Exactly two years ago yesterday, my team, Norwich City, played at Gillingham in Kent in a League 1 game. I went along, and reading my thoughts on that day in my blog post, I lamented how low City had fallen and how sad it was. For those of you who do not remember, City were in charge until our keeper was sent off, The Gills scored from the penalty, and with 10 men City tried to get back on level terms and eventually got the equaliser in the 97th minute.

Since then, of course, things have changed. That point, as a result of that rear-guard action was, I think, the turning point: from that point on City grew stronger the longer games went on, we turned draws and losing positions into wins week after week. And in time we climbed the table and just after Christmas we hit the top and did not give it up.

Last season, of course, whilst not blazing a train to another league title, City did cement their place and once again began to sneak late goals and so get three points where maybe we should have only got one point. I don’t think it was until there were about ten games to go, City were still second, that I began to dream that maybe we could go up again. I looked at the remaining fixtures, and I thought, we really could do this. And just when the resolution of our rivals began to waiver, City won game after game, with the exception of a defeat at Swansea. And on the 2nd of May, our promotion was secured with a 1-0 win at Portsmouth.

And we City fans spent the summer in a haze; first waiting for the fixture lists to be published, then the pre-season, and finally the first game. We all have hopes, of course, and we know we could have done better; scored more goals, conceded less penalties, but so far we have not been embarrassed or cowed.

And last night, the razzmatazz of Sky TV arrived at Carrow Road for Monday Night Football (MNF) for our game with Sunderland. We had won our last game and were going for our first back to back top flight wins since April 2005. There was a blimp flying over the ground, relaying live shots of the bright green turf showing up against the darkness of the city. There was in deep analysis by the presenters, highlights of previous games and predictions of where tonight’s game would go.

But, at the back of mind was the thought; this is it, we’re back in the big time; live on TV, flashing pitchside advertisements, large video screens and all the rest. And, just 104 weeks previously, we were just 17th in League 1 and by the end of the game last night we were 9th in the Premier League. It probably won’t last, we will almost certainly get relegated, but we won’t go bust as a result of it, and our team will be stronger and wanting more. And this week City head to Old Trafford for the one game in the season we are not expected to, let along win, not stand a chance in. In an infinite universe, anything is possible, except three points in Salford of course.

And all this has happened because City lost their first game of the season 7-1; had that result had not been so bad, then nothing may have been done. But Paul Lambert was brought in, fitness levels raised closely followed by expectation levels. Sometimes you have to hit the very bottom to realise how far you have fallen, and having the bottom it makes the highs all the more enjoyable.

We’re lovin’ it.